One week shy of being 128 years old, Jose Paulino Gomes passed away on Friday at his home in Pedra Bonita, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Gomes's demise from organ failure, according to his family, was probably caused by his advanced age. At the Corrego dos Fialhos Cemetery in Pedra Bonita, he was buried on Saturday. Gomes was born on August 4, 1895, and according to his 1917 marriage registration from Pedra Bonita's registry office, he survived three pandemics and both World Wars.

A legal advisor for the civil registration named Willyan Jose Rodrigues de Souza certified to a local media outlet that Gomes' age was correct and that he was born before 1900. His family questions that certainty, noting a number of instances of falsified documents in the area. "There is a 98-year-old woman nearby. She claims to have known him as a little boy. Eliane Ferreira, Gomes' granddaughter, told local media, "At that point, we became curious to validate his age and went up to the registry office to find out what was accurate.

It is unknown if his paperwork will be checked and validated by Guinness World Records, which asserts that Mara Branyas Morera of Spain is the oldest living person in the world at 116 years old. Her birthday is March 4, 1907. The Guinness Book of World Records has recognised Juan Vicente Perez Mora, 114, of Venezuela as the oldest living person.

Gomes was an animal tamer and was riding horses up until four years ago according to his family. He led a natural lifestyle, valuing products from the countryside over those made in factories. He ate only things that were raised or grown nearby and occasionally drank. Gomes leaves behind seven children, 25 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren.